BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMEliiOA. 131 



IXOREUS NiEVIUS (Gmelin). 

 VARIED THRUSH. 



Adult male in spring and summer. — Above iilaiii slate color, the 

 feathers, especially those of pileum and back, sometimes (in certain 

 lights) slightly darker centrally or mesially; wings (except lesser 

 coverts) dusky, with slate or slate-gray edgings, the middle coverts 

 with a large terminal spot (usually more or less triangular or guttate 

 in form) of tawny, tawny-ochraceous, ochraceous, or ochraceous- 

 buff, the greater coverts also broadly tipped with the same (mostly 

 on outer web), the secondaries edged subterminally with a paler and 

 duller tint of the same, the primaries (except two or three outermost) 

 ochraceous-buff or cinnamon-butf on basal portion of outer web and 

 edged with the same at point of sub terminal sinuation, the outer 

 web of secondaries also ochraceous-buff or tawny-ochraceous basally 

 (concealed by greater coverts), the tertials often tipped with pale 

 ochraceous, buffy, or whitish; two or three outermost rectrices with 

 a white or whitish spot at tip of inner web (largest on the lateral rec- 

 trix) ; a conspicuous supra-auricular stripe of tawny-ochraceous or 

 ochraceous-buff, extending from middle of upper eyelid (sometimes 

 from above lores) to nape; loral, suborbital, and auricular regions 

 uniform black, slate-black, or blackish slate; malar region, cliin, 

 throat, and breast uniform tawny, tawny-ochraceous, ochraceous, or 

 ochraceous-buff, the chest crossed by a more or less broad (rarely 

 interrupted) band of black, slate-black, or blackish slate, the feathers 

 sometimes margined with a more slaty hue; sides and flanks similar 

 in color to breast but paler, the feathers broadly margined with oliva- 

 ceous slate-gray; abdomen, more or less extensively,'^ white; under 

 tail-coverts brownish slate-gray basally, extensively wliite terminally, 

 the white usually more or less strongly suffused wath tawny or ochra- 

 ceous; axillars and under wing-coverts wliite basally, broadly slate- 

 gray terminally; inner webs of remiges crossed by a broad basal or 

 sub-basal band of white or pale buffy; bill brownish black or dusky 

 brown, the basal portion of mandible pale colored; iris brown; legs 

 and feet pale yellowish brown (in dried skins). 



Adult male in autumn and urinter. — Similar to the spring and sum- 

 mer plumage, but usually with feathers of upper parts (especially on 

 pileum and back') indistinctly margined with olive, and coloration in 

 general averaging slightly deeper (especially when compared with late 

 spring or midsummer specimens) . 



Adult female. — Much duller in coloration than the adult male. 

 Upper parts varying from olivaceous slate-gray (nearly mouse gray) 



o The white may be restricted to the extreme lower central portion of the abdomen 

 (in very highly colored specimen.s) or may invade the breast and inner portion of the 

 sides, the variation in the relative extent of the white and tawny on the under parts 

 being considerable. 



